Designing content for multi-view display

ABSTRACT

The specification and drawings present a signage design device (SDD) and a method for using such a device for designing content for a multi-view display (MVD) intended for simultaneously displaying multiple versions of content to multiple corresponding viewing zones. The multi-view display may be a static multi-view signage print (SMVSP) or an electronic multi-view display (EMVD), as described herein.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This case claims priority and the benefit of the filing date under 35USC 120 of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/128,968 filedMar. 5, 2015, the teaching of which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety. This case is also related to the U.S. non-provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 15/002,014 filed Jan. 20, 2016, Ser. No.15/002,158 filed on Jan. 20, 2016, Ser. No. 15/002,164 filed on Jan. 20,2016, Ser. No. 15/002,175 filed on Jan. 20, 2016 Ser. No. 15/015,099filed on Feb. 3, 2016, and Ser. No. 15/060,527 filed on Mar. 3, 2016,the teachings of all of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety. To the extent there are any inconsistencies between thelanguage used in this disclosure and the language used in theprovisional patent application Ser. No. 62/128,968 or in thenon-provisional cases listed above, the language used in this disclosurecontrols.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to static and electronic displays, and,more particularly, to design content of multi-view displays such asstatic multi-view signage prints and electronic multi-view displaysintended for simultaneously displaying multiple distinct images (fordifferent viewing locations).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Standard signage, including billboards, posters, banners, murals,labels, and other signs, typically provide the same content to allviewers, independent of viewing location. This often limits the purposeof the signage to general information broadcast, or to deliver relevantcontent to some location(s) at the expense of less relevance to others.For example, an advertisement poster in a grocery store placed in frontof the vegetables display may show a discount on vegetables. Whilerelevant for shoppers standing by the vegetables, the poster may beirrelevant to shoppers standing by other products, such as the dairysection.

Lenticular signage can be used to display different content to differentlocations. One common application of this is for auto-stereoscopic 3D.By directing different views of the same scene at high angularresolution, the two eyes of a viewer may each see an appropriate imageto create a 3D effect.

Lenticular signage can also be used as multi-view signage in staticmulti-view displays (SMVD), presenting different content to differentlocations. For example, this could be used to create an animated effectfor moving viewers, or to provide additional content that can beaccessed by changing viewing location. Such signage, if designedcorrectly, may present different content to different locations in theenvironment to improve relevancy. In the aforementioned grocery storeexample, a static multi-view sign may direct a vegetable-promotion imagetowards the vegetable display, while simultaneously directing a dairypromotion towards the dairy section. However, the process for designingsuch static multi-view signage is cumbersome and needs furtherimprovements.

In more recent developments, an electronic multi-view display (EMVD) cansimultaneously present a different respective image to each one ofplural viewers that are at different viewing locations with respect tothe EMVD. For example, Sharp Corporation and Microsoft Corporation havedeveloped displays that are capable of showing a small number ofindependent views based on the viewer's angle with respect to thedisplay. Viewers can interact with these displays using standard controldevices. For example, there might be separate game controllers for aleft view and a right view.

Advances in technology are expected to result in next-generation EMVDsthat would enable hundreds to thousands of people to simultaneously viewa single display yet each see something different. These devices wouldbe able to operate by controlling the images presented at differentviewing locations, each of which has a unique viewing angle with respectto the EMVD. Further advances in designing content for such displays aredesired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the invention disclose a signage design device(SDD) and a corresponding method to assist in designing content for amulti-view display (MVD) intended for simultaneously displaying multipledifferent respective images to viewers in different viewing locationsand zones, defined relative to the MVD. The multi-view display may be astatic multi-view signage print (SMVSP) broadly defined herein, or anelectronic multi-view display (EMVD).

The SDD can enable users/designers to more efficiently design contentfor the multi-view displays. In some embodiments, a signage designdevice comprises a camera (or, more generally, a position-determiningdevice), a computer, a display, and/or an input mechanism/device. Forstatic displays, a predefined visual marker is placed in the desiredlocation of the MVD in the illustrative embodiment. For electronicdisplays, in the illustrative embodiment, a visual graphic is displayedon the multi-view display itself. In both cases, this situates the SDD,being in a particular viewing location and optionally using the MVDsystem, to determine a position of the SDD relative to the visual markeror visual graphic, or, more generally, relative to the MVD.

After determining the position of the SDD in the viewing location, theSDD uses content selected by the user/designer (e.g., received throughthe input device) to display, on the display of the SDD a simulatedimage of that content. The simulated image is an image of the selectedcontent to be viewed from the viewing location on the multi-viewdisplay. This approach provides feedback to the user/designer forupdating the content. In some embodiments, for the electronic multi-viewdisplays, the image with the selected content for the determinedposition of the viewing location is displayed, using the SDD, directlyon the EMVD. Moreover, the user/designer can move the SDD to havedifferent contents being pre-visualized, providing further feedback onthe content design/reselection for the MVDs.

According to another embodiment described herein, the SDD is relocatedsequentially to a plurality of locations, so that the SDD identifieszones relative to an area allocated for the multi-view display. Eachviewing zone can be defined by one or more locations of the plurality oflocations.

In summary, in accordance with an embodiment, a method for designingcontent for a multi-view display comprises:

-   -   when a signage design device is placed at one viewing location,        determining for the one viewing location, using the signage        design device, a position relative to the multi-view display;        and    -   receiving, through an input device of the signage design device,        a content selection to be displayed on the multi-view display        for viewing from the one viewing location.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method for designing contentfor a multi-view display comprises:

-   -   when a signage design device is placed at one viewing location,        determining for the one viewing location, using the signage        design device, a position relative to the multi-view display;    -   receiving, through an input device of the signage design device,        a content selection to be displayed on the multi-view display        for viewing from the one viewing location; and    -   displaying, using the signage design device, a simulated image        of a selected content using the determined relative position of        the one viewing location, the simulated image being an image of        the selected content to be viewed from the one viewing location        on the multi-view display.

In accordance with yet a further embodiment, a signage design device,for designing content for a multi-view display, comprises:

-   -   a position determining device, configured to facilitate        determining a position of the signage design device placed at        one viewing location, the position being determined relative to        an area allocated for the multi-view display;    -   an input device, configured to receive a content selection for        the multi-view display to be viewed from the one viewing        location; and    -   a computer, configured to:        -   (i) provide instructions to the position determining device;            and        -   (ii) receive information generated using the position            determining device for determining the position.

In accordance with an additional embodiment, a signage design device,for designing content for a multi-view display, comprises:

-   -   a position determining device, configured to facilitate        determining a position of the signage design device placed at        one viewing location, the position being determined relative to        an area allocated for the multi-view display;    -   an input device, configured to receive a content selection for        the multi-view display to be viewed from the one viewing        location; and    -   a computer, configured to:        -   (i) provide instructions to the position determining device;        -   (ii) receive information generated using the position            determining device for determining the position; and        -   (iii) display a simulated image of a selected content using            the determined relative position of the one viewing            location, the simulated image being an image of the selected            content to be viewed from the one viewing location on the            multi-view display.

According to a further embodiment, a method in accordance with thepresent teachings comprises:

-   -   when a signage design device is relocated sequentially to a        plurality of locations;    -   facilitating, by the signage design device, determination of one        or more viewing zones relative to an area allocated for the        multi-view display, each viewing zone being defined by one or        more locations of the plurality of locations, for designing,        based at least on the determined viewing zones, corresponding        images with different contents to be displayed on the multi-view        display, each of the images being only visible from one viewing        zone of the determined viewing zones.        In a further embodiment based on the method disclosed in this        paragraph, at least one viewing zone is defined by multiple        locations.

It is noted that this summary provides a selection of simplifiedconcepts that are further described in the detailed description andaccompanying drawings. It does not exhaustively list the features of theinvention, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of the claimedsubject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and aspects of the present disclosure willbecome better understood when the following detailed description isread, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which likecharacters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting a static multi-view sign presentingdifferent content to different locations;

FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting lenses on a lenticular print magnifyingdifferent portions of the print pattern from different viewing angles;

FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting an example of a multi-view lenticular signwith an interlaced pattern, directing different images in two differentdirections;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary system that enables users tomore efficiently design static multi-view signage, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting an exemplary process by which a systemcan assist in the design of content for a multi-view display, accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary diagram demonstrating how the signage designdevice can be used to visualize the design content for a staticmulti-view sign, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary interaction between anEMVD system and a signage design device, according to an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram depicting an alternative exemplary interactionbetween an EMVD system and a signage design device, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram depicting an exemplary process by which a designermay designate viewing locations using a signage design device, accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram depicting an alternative exemplary process by whicha designer may designate viewing locations using a signage designdevice, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a detailed block diagram of a signage design device forimplementing various embodiments of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The terms appearing below and inflected forms thereof are defined foruse in this disclosure and the appended claims as follows:

“Content” means whatever is delivered to a viewer via the MVD,including, without limitation, light, color, and complex media. In somecontexts, the absence of light, color, or media can be consideredcontent, as examples.

“Electronic multi-view display” or “EMVD” means a type of the MVD(described herein) that is capable of simultaneously presentingdifferent respective images to different viewers that are at differentviewing angles and/or distances with respect to the EMVD. The imagespresented on the electronic display may be dynamically changed bycorresponding software to display different contents.

“Multi-view display” or “MVD” means a display that is capable ofsimultaneously presenting different respective images to differentviewers that are at different viewing angles (locations) and/ordistances with respect to the MVD. The different respective images seenby different viewers are displayed in the same location of the display,i.e. being overlapping. The MVD, for the purposes of this disclosure,can be a static multi-view signage print (SMVSP) such as a lenticularprint or an electronic multi-view display (EMVD), as described herein.

“Signage design device” or “SDD” means a device for assisting design ofcontent for multi-view displays including static multi-view signageprints and electronic multi-view displays as described herein.

“Static multi-view signage print” or “SMVSP” means a type of MVD whichcan be made using various methods such as lenticular signs, dot orfly-eye lenticulars, as well as hologram and parallax barrier techniquesand the like, to simultaneously present interlacing/overlapping imageswith different content viewed by different users in different viewinglocations and/or zones at different viewing angles with respect to theSMVSP.

“Viewing location” means a specific location from which a single viewermay observe the multi-view display.

“Viewing zone” means a region in which a viewer can view one contentimage presented by the MVD. It is a defined area in which the multi-viewdisplay provides a common experience. There can be many locations withina viewing zone. Zones also need not be contiguous.

As stated herein, the process for designing multi-view displays has,until now, been cumbersome. Without a way to pre-visualize the contenton the display, it can be difficult for a designer to correlate thecontent with the environmental context. Thus, a more efficient andintuitive system to design content for multi-view displays is desired.

A signage design device (SDD) and method for its use, as disclosedherein, facilitate the design of content for a multi-view display (MVD)intended for simultaneously displaying multiple different respectiveimages to viewers in different viewing locations and zones, definedrelative to the MVD. The multi-view display described herein may be astatic multi-view signage print (SMVDP) or an electronic multi-viewdisplay (EMVD), as described herein.

In this document, the terms “direction” and “angle” may refer to aparticular angle, a consecutive range of angles, an angular zone, or acombination of angles and distances. The viewing direction and/or anglemay be designated in a single dimension, for example the horizontaldimension, or for multiple dimensions, such as the horizontal andvertical dimensions. Furthermore, the term “position” may refer to anappropriate angle and/or a distance.

It is notable that the effective use of MVDs is largely contingent onthe ability to correlate the display and its content with the viewingenvironment. With this in mind, a tool is needed to assist in tasks suchas:

-   -   the selection and design of each version of the content to be        shown on the display;    -   the layout of viewing zones for each version of the content;    -   the placement, angle, and sizing of the multi-view display;    -   the selection and specifications of multi-view technology for        each situation; and    -   adjustments to the surrounding environment itself.        The tool will also assist in the sale, rental, approval,        coordination, and demonstration of MVDs and their content for        purchasers, lessees, content sponsors, content providers,        content designers, advertisers, interior designers, lighting        designers, architects, and a range of other users and        stakeholders. Among the features that might be desired in such a        tool, among any others, is the ability to: (i) identify        different viewing zones and (ii) pre-visualize, or visualize in        real-time the proposed content for the display as seen within        the context of the surrounding environment and sightlines. All        of the above are by way of example and not to be construed as        limiting the scope of application.

Consider the case of static multi-view signage print (SMVSP), an exampleof which is lenticular prints, which can display different content toviewers at different locations relative to the multi-view display. Thisability can be used to provide different images tailored for differentcontexts. For example, as in FIG. 1, a lenticular sign 100 in a storemay present different content to different product displays. A shopper101 standing by the first product display 102 may see information 103related to the first product, while another shopper 104 standing by thesecond product display 105 may simultaneously see information 106related to the second product.

Lenticular prints may comprise a plurality of lenses in front of a printpattern. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary lenticular print 200 with threelenses 201 in front of a print pattern 202. Each lens, when viewed froma particular viewing angle, may magnify a particular area of the patternunderneath the lens. Different viewing angles may correspond todifferent pattern areas, resulting in the lens having a differentappearance from different viewing angles 203 and 204.

The pattern may be printed directly on the back of the lenticularlenses, or it may be printed on a separate medium adhered, laminated,and/or otherwise placed behind the lenses. The lenses may take a varietyof forms, including, but not limited to, cylindrical lenticulars, dot orfly-eye lenticulars, and/or any combination thereof.

Designing the print pattern in a lenticular print typically comprisesmultiple steps. For a given viewing location relative to the print, theviewing angle for each lens may be determined. The pattern underneatheach lens corresponding to the viewing angle may be designed to be theportion of the image to be viewed from that viewing locationcorresponding to that lens. This often results in an interlacing of theimages to be presented at different viewing angles. FIG. 3 shows anexemplary interlaced pattern 300 for a two-view lenticular print. With acylindrical lens array 301, the two images that may be seen are 302 and303.

For a lenticular print with a plurality of lenses, a viewing locationmay be associated with different angles for each lens. For a largelenticular print relative to the viewing distance, the angles for eachlens may differ significantly. By estimating both the angle and distanceto the sign from a viewing location, the angles for each lens may beestimated.

It is noted that the above description is not meant to be an exhaustivelist of possible implementations of SMVSPs, and alternativeimplementations do not fall outside of the spirit of the invention orrestrict the scope of the subject matter.

According to embodiments described herein, a designer may more easilyvisualize the content of the sign in the context of the environmentwithout having to manufacture the sign. This pre-visualization abilitymay allow designers to more efficiently iterate on the design.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the disclosed technologymay utilize a signage design device to allow a static multi-view signdesigner to more efficiently design signs for the SMVSPs. FIG. 4 depictsan exemplary block diagram of the system, which may comprise one or morevisual markers 400 and a signage design device (SDD) 401. The signagedesign device 401 may comprise a camera 402, a computer 403, an inputdevice 404, and/or a display 405. Examples of signage design devices mayinclude, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartglasses, and/or custom devices. Examples of input devices may include,but are not limited to, touchscreens, keyboards, mice, and/or gestureinterfaces. The visual markers can be encoded using, for example QR(Quick Response) code or the like. It is well known to those skilled inthe art how to design appropriate visual markers.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary flowchart describing how the system of FIG.4 can be used to design a static multi-view sign, according to anembodiment of the invention. It is noted that the exact sequence ororder of steps shown in FIG. 5 is not required, so in principle, thevarious steps may be performed out of the illustrated order. Alsocertain steps may be skipped, different steps may be added orsubstituted, or selected steps or groups of steps may be performed in aseparate application following the embodiments described herein.

As a non-limiting example scenario in FIG. 5, let us consider the caseof a user designing a static multi-view sign on the wall of a grocerystore that can be viewable from two different locations: the vegetablesection and the dairy section. Then, in a method according to thisexemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, in a first step 500, thevisual marker(s) 400 may be placed by a user on the wall where the sign(signage print, SMVSP) is to be placed. In a next step 501, the signagedesign device 401 can be placed at a certain (desired) viewing location,for instance the vegetable section. In a next step 502, the camera 402may capture one or more images of the visual marker(s) 400 from theviewing location. In a next step 503, the computer 403 may receive andprocess the captured image(s) to estimate the viewing location (e.g., aposition including angle and/or distance) relative to the visualmarker(s) 400. Exemplary processing options for the step 503 mayinclude, but are not limited to, thresholding, pattern matching, imageconvolutions, and/or transformations. In a next step 504, the user mayinteract with the SDD 401 via its input device 404 to select the contentto be seen from that viewing location and record the association betweenthe estimated position and selected content, e.g., in a memory of thecomputer 403.

In a next step 505, the computer 403 may provide and display (on thedisplay 405) a simulated image at least for the selected content usingthe determined relative position of the viewing location, where thesimulated image is an image of the selected content to be viewed fromthe viewing location on the multi-view display. This simulated image maycomprise the selected content, warped and/or otherwise transformed to besuperimposed on the visual marker(s) 400. In addition to the simulatedimage for the current viewing location, to further assist the user tomake a possible content re-selection, in step 505, the computer 403 mayprovide and display (on the display 405) one or more further simulatedimages previously generated and recorded by the SDD 401 for previouslyanalyzed viewing locations/positions.

Then in step 506, based on the displayed simulated image(s) on thedisplay 405, the SDD 401 may facilitate (if needed) re-selection ofcontent by the user using the input device 404 (similar to the selectiondescribed for step 504) for the respective signage on the SMVSP to bedirected towards that viewing location. In a next step 507, the SDD maysave (record) an association between the estimated position andfinalized content (selected or re-selected) for the current viewinglocation, e.g., saved in a memory of the computer 403. In a next step508, the SDD 401 is configured to repeat steps 503-507 described hereinfor other desirable viewing locations. For example, the user may thenmove the device to another viewing location, for example the dairysection, and repeat the process. Thus, with the content and associatedviewing locations/positions recorded, the user may move the devicearound the environment and visualize what the designed sign would looklike from different viewing locations. Finally in step 509, a lenticularprint pattern may be generated from the recorded content andcorresponding viewing location information for multiple viewinglocations.

FIG. 6 shows an example of how the signage design device (SDD) 600 canbe used to visualize the design of a static multi-view sign. A visualmarker 601 is placed on the wall where the sign is to be placed. Thesign is designed to allow two views, one towards a first product display602 and another towards a second product display 603. The user may placethe signage design device by the first product display 602 and select afirst content that is relevant to the first product display. The device,when placed near the first product display, now shows a camera feed ofthe environment with the first content superimposed on the visualmarker, 604. The user may then bring the device by the second productdisplay 603 and select a second content that is relevant to the secondproduct display. The device, when placed near the second product display603, then shows a camera feed of the environment with the second contentsuperimposed on the visual marker, 605. Bringing the device from oneproduct display to the other, the device shows the content associatedwith the nearby product display superimposed on the visual marker 601.The camera feed may be a video, providing a continuously updatedvisualization of what the designed static multi-view sign looks likefrom the location of the camera.

It is noted that according to various embodiments, any of the computerprocessing steps may be performed by the computer inside the device 401,or on a remote computer that communicates with the computer inside thedevice 401. For example, in one embodiment, the local computer in thedevice 401 may send captured images to a separate computer to performimage processing. In another embodiment, the selected content may becommunicated to a remote server that records the content. In yet anotherembodiment, the content and viewing location information may be recordedon the local computer in the device 401 and then communicated to aremote computer to generate the print pattern. In another alternativeembodiment, a computer may control the camera while communicating with aseparate computer that may control the display.

Moreover, the aforementioned exemplary embodiment (e.g., see FIG. 4)utilizes a visual marker 400 and a camera 402 on the signage designdevice 401 to estimate the device's viewing location (position) relativeto the sign/marker 400. An alternative embodiment may use one or moresensing systems to perform the viewing location estimation. Examples ofsuitable sensing systems may comprise cameras, range finders, structuredlight projectors, magnetometers, inertial measurement units, and/orother sensors. In an exemplary embodiment, a projector placed at thesign may project structured light that uniquely encodes each viewingangle of the sign. The signage design device may use a camera to detectand decode the structured light pattern to estimate the device's viewingangle. The structured light may encode each viewing angle using avariety of encodings, including, but not limited to, binary, gray-code,and the like.

The interface presented on the signage design device may allow moreoperations than just rendering the camera feed and selecting content.For example, the interface may allow the user to remove, replace, orotherwise edit previously selected content. It may also allow the userto increase, reduce, move, or otherwise alter the viewing locationsand/or location boundaries associated with content. It may allow theuser to mark zones where viewers should not see content at all, or setdefault content that viewers in all non-specified locations may see.

The interface (for controlling SDD operation by the user) may also allowthe designer to specify and visualize boundary transition effects.Rather than a sharp change between two adjacent viewing locations, asmooth transition may be applied between the two contents so as toappear less jarring. Example techniques for transition include, but arenot limited to, crossfading, fading to black, fading to white, and/orblurring. The interface may allow the designer to select establishedboundaries and choose the desired transition effect, if any. Uponselection of the effect, the SDD 401 may provide a pre-visualization ofthe transition that the designer may experience by moving the signagedesign device across the boundary.

It is noted that there are a variety of ways in which a designer mayspecify viewing locations using the device 401 and/or interface. Forexample, the boundaries of viewing locations may be marked at thelocation of the device 401. Alternatively, the designer may use thedevice 401 to mark the centers of viewing locations. In this case, apartitioning method may be used to automatically compute viewinglocation boundaries. For example, the boundaries may be estimated to beat the midpoint between adjacent viewing locations, or to establishfixed dimensions around the device's location.

It is noted that this description is not meant to be an exhaustive listof possible interfaces, processes, sensing systems, and/orimplementations, and alternative embodiments do not fall outside of thespirit of the invention or restrict the scope of the subject matter.

The reader's attention is now drawn to electronic multi-view displays(EMVDs). A traditional display, such as LCD, LED, plasma, or projectiondisplays, generally shows an image that is visible from all viewinglocations simultaneously. Multi-view displays, on the other hand, showdifferent respective images to different viewing locationssimultaneously. A brief review of different EMVD principles of operationis provided below based on embodiments described at least in previouslyreferenced U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/002,014filed on Jan. 20, 2016, Ser. No. 15/015,099 filed on Feb. 3, 2016, andSer. No. 15/060,527 filed on Mar. 3, 2016.

In one embodiment, a multi-view display may consist of one or moreprojection elements that may shine light of different colors andbrightness at different angles. Each element, from a viewer'sperspective, may appear to be a light source or pixel of the color andbrightness projected onto that viewer. Thus, the appearance of eachprojection element from the perspective of any specific viewer may bedependent upon the angle from which the element is viewed. Theprojection element, as viewed from a particular angle, will appear to bea light source of the color and brightness of the light projected inthat direction.

In one embodiment, each projection element may form a single pixel of adisplay, and a full graphic multi-view display may be formed from anarray of projection elements. In another embodiment, a projectionelement may form a graphic via a mask, similar to the masks used to formarrow symbols on traffic lights. An embodiment of a multi-view displaymay include one or more projection elements that each may or may nothave masks. In yet another embodiment, the mask may comprise a spatiallight modulator, such as a LCD (liquid crystal display) or MEMS(micro-electronic mechanical system) shutter, to create dynamicgraphics.

In the case of using an array of projection elements, eachpico-projector pixel or each group of pico-projector pixels may becontrolled by a processor. All of the processors in the display may beconnected via a network, and a computing device, such as a computer or alaptop, may be used to drive the display.

In an alternative embodiment, a lens array may be placed in front of animager, such as a LCD, LED, plasma display, or projector projecting ontoa diffuser. In this embodiment, each lens in the array may form aprojection element from the set of imager pixels beneath the lens. Thenumber of imager pixels corresponding to each lens may determine thenumber of unique directions the display may project a differentiatedimage. With this technique, by varying the size and number of lenses inthe array, a trade-off may be made between the pixel resolution of themulti-view image and the number of unique images and/or contentsimultaneously displayed. Lens arrays may include, but are not limitedto, dot lenticulars, fly-eye lenticulars, and/or cylindricallenticulars.

It is noted that this description is not an exhaustive list of possibleimplementations of electronic multi-view displays, and there exist manyalternative embodiments that do not depart from the spirit or scope ofthe invention.

Now the reader's attention is directed to designing content for theelectronic multi-view displays (EMVDs). The content of the EMVDs may beused to simultaneously show different content to viewers depending uponeach person's location. While the aforementioned static multi-viewsignage prints (SMVSPs) may show different images at different angles, amulti-view display may show different dynamic content, and may alsodirect content to viewing locations that are not strictly determined bythe viewing angle.

A signage design device (similar to the device shown in FIG. 4) may beused to aid in the design of content for the EMVD that directs differentimages at different angles. In the static multi-view signage example inFIG. 4, a visual marker placed in the sign location may be used toestimate the viewing location of the device 401. In the case of theEMVD, a visual graphic may be shown on the display 401. Similar to thestatic multi-view signage case, the camera and computer in the signagedesign device (SDD) 401 as shown in FIG. 4 may capture and processimages of the visual graphic to estimate the device's viewing location.Therefore the SDD 401 like shown in FIG. 4 can be used for the EMVDs aswell.

Unlike static multi-view signage, electronic multi-view display systemsmay also allow different content to be shown to different viewinglocations that correspond to the same viewing angle. This is because thedisplay may dynamically select the content to be shown at that viewingangle, depending on the presence of viewers in a location that occludesa location behind them. For example, a multi-view display maysimultaneously show different content to viewers depending on eachviewer's distance from the display. Such a display may be used in venueswhere it is desirable to show finer detailed graphics and/or text when aviewer is close to the display, and larger graphics for bettervisibility when a viewer is far from the display.

A designer may use a signage design device (SDD) to establish theviewing location in 3D space for the EMVD. For example, a multi-viewdisplay may show a visual graphic of a known size that the camera andcomputer of the SDD may capture and process to estimate the viewinglocation (e.g., a position including an angle and/or a distance). Inaddition to the angle, the distance of the device to the display may beestimated as well. The viewing angle may be estimated using theperspective distortion of the graphic, while the viewing distance may beestimated using the scale of the graphic. Alternatively, similar to thestatic multi-view signage case, a sensing system may be used to estimatethe location of the signage design device. The designer may place thedevice at various positions in the 3D environment in front of theelectronic multi-view display and register those positions through aninterface on the device to designate the viewing locations.

An alternative way to register the location of a signage design devicerelative to the EMVD is to encode the location information using thedisplay's projection elements. Each projection element in the EMVDdisplay may show a sequence of patterns that uniquely encode eachviewing angle of the projection element. The encodings may be in avariety of formats, including, but not limited to, binary and/orgray-code. The SDD may capture and decode the pattern of a projectionelement as observed from its viewing location, providing an estimate ofits viewing angle with respect to the projection element. By decodingthe pattern from two or more projection elements in the EMVD, thelocation of the signage design device relative to the display may beestimated. The patterns for each projection element may be shown andcaptured sequentially or at the same time. An exemplary embodiment thatcaptures the patterns sequentially may comprise a photo-detector thatcan detect light emitted from the display. Since the photo-detector mayonly detect the presence of light, and not which projection element thelight comes from, each projection element may need to show its patternsequentially in a known order. An exemplary embodiment where thepatterns are captured in parallel may comprise a camera that observesthe entire display, capturing images of all projection elements at once.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary block diagram of a signage design device 700interacting with an EMVD system 701, according to one embodiment of theinvention. The display 702 in the EMVD system 701 may show a visualgraphic, of which the camera 703 in the signage design device maycapture images. The computer 704 in the signage design device mayprocess the images to estimate the location of the device relative tothe multi-view display. The computer 704 communicates with the inputdevice 705 and display 706 on the signage design device 700 to presentan interface to the designer, allowing the designer toidentify/determine viewing locations and/or select content. The signagedesign device computer 704 may communicate the viewing location andcontent information to the multi-view display system computer 907 in theEMVD system 701.

FIG. 8 depicts an alternative exemplary block diagram of an alternativeembodiment of a signage design device 800 interacting with analternative embodiment of a multi-view display system 801. Similarelements/devices in FIG. 8 are designated by the same reference numbersas the similar elements in FIG. 7 The signage design device may actuatean LED 802, while a camera 803 (or using one or more cameras forcapturing a position in 3D) and a computer 707 of the multi-view displaysystem captures and processes images of the environment. From theimages, the location of the signage design device 800 may be estimatedby locating the actuated LED using image processing techniques which mayinclude, but is not limited to, gray-scale conversion, thresholding,erosion, dilation, and/or blob detection. The LED may be constantlyturned on, or may be flashed synchronously with the camera capturingimages to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, the LED 802and camera 803 may operate in the visible spectrum, IR spectrum, and/orat other wavelengths.

It is further noted that according to alternative embodiments, otherposition determining systems, for determining a position of the SDD in aviewing location relative to the MVD, that are well known and within thescope of the invention, may be used. Some examples may include, withoutlimitation, time-of-flight cameras, structured light scanners, laserscanners, global positioning systems, indoor positioning systems,altimeters, and/or the like.

Furthermore, there are a variety of ways in which a designer may use thedevice to designate viewing locations. For example, a viewing locationin 3D space may be geometrically represented as a polyhedron. Specifyingthe vertices or corners of the polyhedron may be sufficient to establishthe viewing location or other techniques as demonstrated in flow chartsshown in FIGS. 9 and 10, according to further embodiments of theinvention. It is noted that the exact sequence or order of steps shownin FIGS. 9 and 10 is not required, so in principle, the various stepsmay be performed out of the illustrated order. Also certain steps may beskipped, different steps may be added or substituted, or selected stepsor groups of steps may be performed in a separate application followingthe embodiments described herein.

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary process by which a designer may designatethe corners of the viewing location/area such as polyhedron using asignage design device. The designer may, in step 900, move the device toa corner of the desired viewing location, and then the SDD device, instep 901, can register the device location. A variety of exemplarymethods to register the location of the device have been describedherein. Steps 900 and 901 may be repeated in step 902 for each corner ofthe desired viewing location. From the registered viewing locationcorners, in step 903, the boundaries of the viewing location may begenerated. Techniques for determining the edges, faces, and/or surfacesof a solid from a set of vertices are familiar to those with ordinaryskill in the art. Exemplary techniques may include, but are not limitedto, triangle mesh modeling and/or polygon mesh modeling. This processmay be performed for each desired viewing location.

An alternative way to designate/determine viewing locations may be tospecify the centers of viewing locations, and generate the locationboundaries using partitioning algorithms. FIG. 10 depicts such aprocess. In step 1000, the designer may move the SDD to the center ofthe desired viewing location, and then the SDD device, in step 1001, canregister the device location. Steps 1000 and 1001 may be repeated foreach viewing location. From the registered viewing location centers, instep 1003, the boundaries of the viewing location may be generated.

A variety of techniques for determining viewing location boundaries maybe employed. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to,establishing boundaries midway between viewing locations, establishingboundaries to achieve viewing locations of fixed dimensions, and/orestablishing each viewing location as a sphere or other specifiedgeometry.

Upon establishing viewing locations (i.e., their positions includingangle and distance) and/or content using a signage design device, thecontent may be displayed immediately on the electronic multi-viewdisplay towards the appropriate viewing locations. Alternatively, apre-visualization interface, similar to the static multi-view signagecase, may be used to aid the design of content without disturbing thecontent currently being displayed. For example, if a designer wished todesign content for a multi-view retail display in a mall during openhours, he or she may not want to disturb what shoppers currently see.With a pre-visualization interface, the designer may design andvisualize the content on the signage design device while avoidingchanging the content that is currently being shown on the multi-viewdisplay to other viewers.

In the static multi-view signage case, the signage design device mayoverlay the appropriate content onto the visual marker to provide apre-visualization of the signage content on the signage design devicedisplay. In order for an electronic multi-view display pre-visualizationinterface to not disturb the currently displayed content, a visualgraphic may be presented only to the location of the signage displaydevice, allowing the device to locate and overlay the contentappropriately on the device display. In an alternative exemplaryembodiment, fixed visual markers may be placed on the electronicmulti-view display outside of the display area that the signage designdevice may capture images of and locate within the camera view, allowingoverlay of content.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a block diagram of a signage design device1100 (also shown as the SDD 401, 700 and 800 in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8respectively) in more detail which can be used for implementing variousembodiments of the invention described herein. FIG. 11 is a simplifiedblock diagram of the device 1100 that is suitable for practicing theexemplary embodiments of this invention, e.g., in reference to FIGS.4-10, and a specific manner in which components of the SDD 1100 areconfigured, to cause that SDD to operate.

The device 1100 may comprise a computer (or generally a computingdevice) 1101, which may comprise, e.g., at least one transmitter 1102,at least one receiver 1104 (both can be wireless), at least oneprocessor (controller) 1106, and at least one memory 1108 including adetermining location and image simulation module 1108 a. The transmitter1102 and the receiver 1104 may be configured to transmit and receivesignals to and from outside computers/servers for assisting inperforming some functions such as processing captured images (e.g., step503 in FIG. 5), generating simulated images (e.g., step 505 in FIG. 5)and performing other appropriate functionalities. The transmitter 1102and the receiver 1104 may be generally means for transmitting/receivingand may be implemented as a transceiver, or a structural equivalentthereof.

Various embodiments of the at least one memory 1108 (e.g., computerreadable memory) may include any data storage technology type which issuitable to the local technical environment, including but not limitedto: semiconductor based memory devices, magnetic memory devices andsystems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, removablememory, disc memory, flash memory, DRAM, SRAM, EEPROM and the like.Various embodiments of the processor 1106 include but are not limitedto: general purpose computers, special purpose computers,microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), multi-coreprocessors, embedded, and System on Chip (SoC) devices.

The determining location and image simulation application module 1108 acan comprise a plurality of applications stored in the memory 1108 andmay provide implementation of or instruction for implementing varioussteps, for example, steps 502-507 shown in FIG. 4, steps 901-903 and1001-1003 in FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively. Implementation of some ofthese steps may require (as described herein) interaction with othercomponents of the SDD, such as an input device 1105, a display 1103 anda device such as a camera, a sensing device or a photonic device 1107 asdisclosed herein. Devices 1105, 1103 or 1107 may or may not be a part ofthe computer 1101.

The module 1108 a may be implemented using computer program(s) stored inthe memory 1108, but in general it may be implemented as software,firmware and/or a hardware module, or a combination thereof. Inparticular, in the case of software or firmware, one embodiment may beimplemented using a software related product such as a computer readablememory (e.g., non-transitory computer readable memory), computerreadable medium or a computer readable storage structure comprisingcomputer readable instructions (e.g., program instructions) using acomputer program code (i.e., the software or firmware) thereon to beexecuted by a computer processor.

Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as is commonly understood by one having ordinaryskill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms “first”,“second”, and the like, as used herein, do not denote any order,quantity, or importance, but rather are employed to distinguish oneelement from another. Also, the terms “a” and “an” do not denote alimitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least oneof the referenced items. The use of “including,” “comprising” or“having” and variations thereof herein, are meant to encompass the itemslisted thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items.The terms “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical ormechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical andoptical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect.

Furthermore, the skilled artisan will recognize the interchangeabilityof various features from different embodiments. The various featuresdescribed, as well as other known equivalents for each feature, can bemixed and matched by one of ordinary skill in this art, to constructadditional systems and techniques in accordance with principles of thisdisclosure.

In describing alternate embodiments of the apparatus claimed, specificterminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however,is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected.Thus, it is to be understood that each specific element includes alltechnical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplishsimilar functions.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended toillustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is definedby the scope of the appended claims. Other embodiments are within thescope of the following claims.

An example of a variation that would fall in the scope and spirit of theinvention would be using the invention to design an experience usinggeneric, placeholder content, with the intent of replacing that contentwith other content at a later time.

It is noted that various non-limiting embodiments, described and claimedherein, may be used separately, combined, or selectively combined forspecific applications.

Further, some of the various features of the above non-limitingembodiments may be used to advantage, without the corresponding use ofother described features. The foregoing description should therefore beconsidered as merely illustrative of the principles, teachings andexemplary embodiments of this invention, and not in limitation thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for designing content for a multi-viewdisplay, wherein a signage design device is placed at plural viewinglocations, one viewing location at a time, and wherein the multi-viewdisplay is not yet installed at an intended installation site, themethod comprising: determining, using the signage design device,respective positions of the signage design device, at least some of theplural viewing locations, relative to the intended installation site ofthe multi-view display; receiving, through an input device of thesignage design device, a respective content selection for each of saidsome viewing locations, the respective content selection being intendedfor display via the multi-view display, once installed, for viewing fromrespective ones of said some viewing locations; and displaying, usingthe signage design device, respective simulated images of the respectivecontent selections using the respective determined positions of saidsome viewing locations.
 2. The method of claim 1, and furthercomprising: establishing one or more viewing zones for the multi-viewdisplay using the respective determined positions of the signage designdevice at said some viewing locations, wherein the content selection isthe same for all viewing locations that are viewable within any oneparticular viewing zone.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulatedimage is generated by the signage design device.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the viewing locations fall into one or more viewing zones ofthe multi-view display, the method further comprising: altering aboundary of the one or more viewing zones.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the viewing locations fall into one or more viewing zones of themulti-view display, the method further comprising: specifying atransition effect to be applied proximal to a boundary between viewingzones.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the signage design device ismoved across the boundary between viewing zones, the method furthercomprising: displaying, via the signage design device, the transitioneffect.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respectivepositions of the signage design device comprises capturing, by a cameraof the signage design device, one or more images depicting the intendedinstallation site of the multi-view display from said some viewinglocations.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respectivepositions of the signage design device comprises capturing, by a camera,one or more images depicting an environment encompassing the signagedesign device.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-view displaycomprises a static multi-view signage print.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the static multi-view signage print has a lenticular printpattern.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respectivepositions of the signage design device comprises capturing, by a cameraof the signage design device, one or more images depicting a visualmarker in the intended installation site of the multi-view display fromsaid some viewing locations.
 12. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the respective positions of the signage design devicecomprises processing, at the signage design device, information obtainedby the signage design device pertaining to the position thereof withrespect to the intended installation site of the multi-view display. 13.The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the respective simulatedimages further comprises displaying the respective simulate images on adisplay of the signage design device.
 14. A signage design device fordesigning content for a multi-view display, the signage design devicecomprising: a position-determining device, wherein theposition-determining device facilitates determining a position of thesignage design device placed at a viewing location, the position beingdetermined relative to location or intended installation site of themulti-view display; an input device, wherein the input device isconfigured to receive a content selection for the multi-view display tobe viewed from the viewing location; and a computer, wherein thecomputer establishes a viewing zone for the multi-view display based onthe determined position of the position-determining device, wherein theviewing zone encompasses the viewing location.
 15. The signage designdevice of claim 14, wherein the computer generates a simulated image ofthe content selection as viewed from the viewing zone.
 16. The signagedesign device of claim 14, further comprising a display, wherein thedisplay presents the simulated image of the content.
 17. The signagedesign device of claim 14, wherein the position determining device is acamera that captures (a) one or more images of a visual marker at alocation or intended installation site of the multi-view display or (b)captures a visual graphic shown on the multi-view display.
 18. Thesignage design device of claim 14, wherein the multi-view displaycomprises a static multi-view signage print.
 19. The signage designdevice of claim 14, where the computer comprises a transceiver thatcommunicates with a computer that is distinct from the signage designdevice to facilitate determining the position of the signage designdevice.
 20. A method for designing content for a multi-view display,wherein a signage design device is placed at a plurality of viewinglocations, one viewing location at a time, the method comprising:establishing viewing zones for the multi-view display using the signagedesign device, each viewing zone being defined by one or more of theplurality of viewing locations, and generating a simulated image of arespective content selection for each respective viewing zone, whereinthe respective content selection is viewable at each viewing locationwithin the respective viewing zone.
 21. The method of claim 20, whereinat least one of the viewing zones is defined by multiple viewinglocations of the plurality thereof.
 22. The method of claim 20 andfurther comprising displaying the simulated image on a display of thesignage design device.
 23. A method for designing content for amulti-view display, wherein a signage design device is placed at aviewing location, and wherein the multi-view display is not yetinstalled at an intended installation site, the method comprising:determining, using the signage design device, a position of the signagedesign device relative to the intended installation site of themulti-view display; receiving, through an input device of the signagedesign device, a content selection intended for display via themulti-view display, once installed, for viewing from the viewinglocation; and displaying, using the signage design device, a simulatedimage of the content selection for the viewing location on a display ofthe signage design device.